How do I stop my neighborís dog from pooping in my back yard?
A fence is not an option. Expensive techniques are not an option. The neighbor, elderly, canít help the fact that dog wonders into my yard.
Keep in mind that, other than the pooping, I like this dog. I also like my neighbor. I do not want to do something that would hurt the dog or my friendship with the neighbor.

I searched for related threads but did not find what I was looking for. I did find that red pepper or musk sprinkled on the ground can work for some wild animals. Has anybody tried it with dogs?

Once the dog has found out he doesn't like the mousetraps, you can leave them un-set so as not to catch any birds by the feet. If you are lucky, he won't like your yard any more, in which case you may not need to leave the traps out.

Well, keep in mind it isn't the dog's fault. It is the owner's. First of all, dogs should not be allowed to wander around town off leash, but putting that aside, you need to talk to your neighbor. Since you get along well, you should just mention, "I love seeing Spot having fun in the neighborhood, but I am concerned about the mess in my yard." Suggest that s/he could perhaps come over to your yard once a week or so and clean it up. Part of owning a dog is being respectful of those that don't.

Hey, it's only dogpoop. If you can avoid stepping in it 'til the next big rain, it will green up your lawn. If not, get one of those giant-tongs pooper scoopers. Either put it in the trash, or throw it back in the dog's own yard. Most other options will either lose your friends or make you look like the neighborhood weirdguy. Once the kids on the street hear that you get mad about dogpoop and such, you'll be a target for minor vandalism.

When I was a kid, there was a guy on 9th Street who washed his driveway and sidewalk twice a week. He kept a neatly painted saw horse across his driveway. He had a local rep as a grouch, maybe it was true. The local kids singled him out for minor vandalism, because they knew he'd be mad. Most of the kids never met him, and they didn't know it he was truly a Crazy Neighbor.

You can buy a powder at pet supply stores that you spread on your lawn. This does work in preventing animals from trespassing. In your circumstances it's only a single dog, so it should work in a couple of treatments.

I have to resort to trapping myself, since the crappy neighbors seem to breed friggin cats or something, and the powder reapplications would bankrupt me.

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If you want to discuss cannibalizing black people, probably the best place for that is the BBQ Pit. -- Colibri

YOU take a crap on your lawn. Dogs use crap as a marker of territory, and generaly won't impinge on a superior dog's (or your's--you are bigger, and thus dominant) territory. Really you shoud repeat several times a week to keep your scent fresh.

Now this isn't necessarily for the op, but others out there may need to use this "THREAT"

Tell the dogs owner about the problem, if they are unwilling to correct the problem, Tell them you are going to pour bacon grease on any dog piles it leaves, Then the dog can bring it all right back home.

On a related topic..
A friend of mine had a next door neighbor with a dog that would always run to the fence when my friend would be outside and bark his head off. If a guest arrived or he was doing yardwork the dog wouldn't shut up.
He got a remote controlled dog siren that emitted a loud high pitched squelch that only dogs can hear. He hid it in a bush near his property line right where the dog liked to bark at him.
He said the next time the dog started barking he hit the remote, the dog yelped once, ran back to it's house, and now the dog never comes near the fence.

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I'm a 30 year old waiter-gigolo, where's the future in that?

The neighbor, elderly, canít help the fact that dog wonders into my yard.

With all due respect to your neighbors, if they can't control their dog, they shouldn't own it. What happens if the dog bites a child? Part of owning a pet means taking responsibility, and they are not being responsible.

That said, how big is the dog? Would a low border fence, available at Home Depot or Lowe's, be enough to keep the dog in their yard?

jeevwoman hit the nail on the head. It's the owner's fault, so it's the owners you must deal with.

I had the same problem once. At 14 I lived in Kansas. With a birthday in early July, I always had fireworks to play with. On my 14th b-day, I took a box of fireworks and sat on the wall in front of the house and intended to throw the fireworks into the street. Guess what I sat in.

We had spoken to the neighbor on several occasions, but to no avail. So I did what any other birthday boy would do. I gathered up as much as I could, piled it infront of her screen door, inserted a cherry bomb, wrang the bell and ran like hell.

She never wore that housecoat again. And our poo-poo problem was solved.

__________________Come and get one in the yarbles, if ya have any yarbles.

I read somewhere that you can go to the zoo and get some urine and/or feces from some of the big cats. If you have any trees in your lawn, apply the excreta about five feet from the ground. The dog will think that a really, really big predator has claimed your lawn as its property and will decide to poop elsewhere; lest it get devoured whilst squeezing out a link on your grass.

I don't know how often you should reapply it, or who at the zoo to ask for it.

By the time I was old enough to walk in the yard on my own, I knew better than to step in dog poop. Maybe some folks learn more slowly.

Yeah, but have you learned to read a link?

From the linkMy bold)

"Roundworm resides in the small intestine of dogs. Its eggs are passed to the outside environment in the dog's feces. The eggs take two weeks to a month to become infective, so there is no risk from fresh feces. However, the eggs may remain infective in the soil for years.
Humans do not develop adult roundworms, however migration of larvae through the tissues and organs can cause disease. The primary transmission pathway to humans is through contamination of the hands by eggs in the soil and accidental ingestion. Direct contact between humans and infected dogs does not play a role in disease transmission. Young children have the greatest risk of exposure. They may inadvertently eat dirt or grass or touch their mouths with hands contaminated with old dog feces containing infective roundworm eggs. People confined to hand-activated wheel chairs and active sports players (i.e. football, hockey, cricket etc.) may also be at risk.